Libya Independence Day - December 24, 1951 Libya Independence Day Libya Independence Day Declaration of Independence Libya gained independence on 24 December 1951. On this day the United Libyan Kingdom was created under the rule of King Idris. However, in 1969, King Idris was overthrown by Col Muammar Gaddafi in a coup. After the overthrow, Gaddafi established the Libyan Arab Republic. Under the rule of Gaddafi, only the 1969 coup date was permitted to be marked. History Libya, which was under Ottoman rule, became an Italian colony in 1911. The Italians gave up their control over the area in 1943 after they were defeated in World War 2. Libya then came under the UN administration and finally achieved independence in 1951. A monarchic government was established under King Idris. However, in 1969, Col Muammar Gaddafi took over the reins of the government after overthrowing King Idris. However, in late 2010, many countries in the Middle East and North Africa were experiencing unrest.

By 2011 Libya too was in the grip of violent protests and unrest. Gaddafi�s tried to suppress the protestors which ultimately lead to a civil war. The protestors were aided by the international community. In mid 2011, the government of Gaddafi was overthrown and a transitional government took over. In 2012, the country formed a new parliament and elected a new Prime Minister. Songs The national anthem of Libya is: Oh my country! With my struggle and my patience Drive off enemies and mishaps, And survive! Survive all through; we are your ransom Oh Libya! Oh my country! You are the heritage of grandfathers, May God cast off any hand that would harm you Do survive! We are for ever your soldiers, If you survive we care not who perishes. To you we give solemn pledges that we, Oh Libya, will never fail you. We will never go back to fetters, we have been liberated, and we have freed our home country Libya.

Our grandfathers carried their swords when struggle called on them Carrying the holy Quran in a hand, and the swords in the other They fought till they spread religion, peace and prosperity all over the world Eternity for them They have built our integrity Libya Salute Idris the descendant of conquerors He is the figure of struggle and Jehad He carried our flag high And we followed him to free our land He built the glory of his throne And took Libya to the skies A free flag Idris, the son of Libya, the son of lions We are for glory Since we began our struggle, all people were with us May god protect our independence Seek the ultimate heights And be ready for the struggle, our youth Life is a war for the glory of our home land Libya, Libya Celebrations With the end of the rule of Gaddafi, Libyans once again celebrated Independence Day on 24 December 2011. The day was a very significant one for the people of the country as Independence Day was being observed after a gap of 42 years. Grand celebrations were organized on the occasion and the skies were lit with amazing fireworks and magnificent lanterns.

Since the fall of Gaddafi in 2011, Independence Day is celebrated every year on 24 December 2011. Facts Libya : Libya's Independence Thousands fought for Libya's independence in many ways .. click here for photos of few of them Libya achieved her independance on the 24th of December 1951. After years of local resistance to the Italian occupation and years of political work locally and internationally following Italy's defeat in World War II, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on 21 November 1949 granting Libya its independance no later than 1 January 1952. In accordance with the General Assembly's resolution, the United Nations was to keep a watchful eye on the internal devolopment of Libya and was to be fully informed by reports presented by its commissioner. On 10 December 1949, the general assembly appointed Adrian Pelt, Assistant Secretary-General of the UN, as the UN Commissioner in Libya. Pelt went to Libya for a preliminary study of the situatioon.

He arrived in Tripoli on 18 January 1950 and visited the three Libyan provinces, Tripolitania, Cerinaica and Fazzan. In a statement issued in Tripoli, he outlined the purpose of his mission as follows: "... the commissioner was also instructed, after consultation with the administrating powers, the members of the Council, and the leaders and representatives of the political parties in Libya, to appoint the representatives of Libya in the Council.". Pelt spent three weeks in Libya. In order to set up the Advisory Council, he concentrated his major efforts on consultation with the administrating powers, the Amir of Cerinaica (Idris al-Sanousi) and the principal political parties and leaders of the three provinces. He requested Libyan leaders to submit to him the name of one agreed candidate for each of the four seats specified in the UN resolution. Only Fazzan submitted the name of an agreed candidate, selected by the Assembly and representatives. After a prolonged discussion and consultation, the Amir of Cerinaica on 28 March 1950 submitted eight names and invited Pelt to select on of them. In Tripolitania the political parties submitted seven names, and the minorities four names.

From these, Pelt selected four representatives [The four Libyan representatives were as follows: Cerinaica, Ali al-Jerbi (replaced later by Ali al-Unaizi); Tripolitania, Mustafa Maizran; Fazzan, Ahmed al-Hajj al-Sanousi (replaced later by Mohammed Ben Uthman; the Minorities, Giacomo Marchino.] After consultation with Libyan leaders, Pelt decided that a Preparatory Committee should be formed, in which the three provinces would be equally represented, as a step toward the preparation of the constitution by a National Constituent Assembly. To achieve this purpose, Pelt submitted to the Council of Ten a plan.

The text of the plan follows: Election of local assemblies in Cerinaica and Tripolitania during June 1950; Selection of a Preparatory Committee of the National Assembly no later than July 1950 for the purpose of recommending the method of election, including composition of Libyan National Assembly, and of drafting a resolution; Election and convening of the Libya National Assembly during the fall of 1950; Establishmen, by the National Assembly, of a provisional Libyan government early in 1951; Adoption of a constitution, including the form of government for Libya, by the National Assembly during 1951; Proclamation of independance by Libya and formation of a definitive Libyan government before 1 January 1952. Tripolitania leaders objected to the establishment of an elected Preparatory Committee on the ground that an electon in Tripolitania under British military aministration would select representatives likely to be swayed by British influence. Mustafa Maizran, the representative of Tripolitania in the Council of Ten, maintained that elections in Tripolitania should not be held and instead, suggested an appointed body.

After prolonged discussion in the Council of Ten it was finally agreed to select the Tripolitanian representatives by consultation with the party leaders, since Tripolitania had a number of established political parties. On 14 June 1950, a draft resolution was adopted. The text of the resolution reads: The Council advised the Commissioner by the resolution to take the following action: Request the Amir to propose the names of seven representatives from Cerinaica; Consult the political leaders in Tripolitania, and, after obtaining their views in the subject, propose, for the advice of the Counsil, the names of seven outstanding personalities of Tripolitania to be invited by the commissioner to join the representatives of Cerinaica; Request to the Chief of the Territory of Fazzan to nominate seven representatives from Fazzan who should consult the representative of Cerinaica and Tripolitania, meeting in Tripoli not later than 1 July 1950, and prepare a plan whereby the representatives of the inhabitants of Cerinaica, Tripolitania and Fazzan should meet in a National Assembly for the purposes stated in paragraph 3 of the resolution of the General Assembly.

The next step was to form the Preparatory Committee, coposed of twenty-one members. Pelt began his consultations with those in control of Tripolitania's political parties and its leading personalities concerning the choice of the seven representatives. Before the parties could reach an agreement, prolonged negotiations were conducted in which Bashir al-Sa'dawi used his persuasiveness. Some party leaders in Tripolitania refused to present lists of candidates on the premise that representation on the Committee of Twenty-One should be based on the size of the population of each territory. It was not until 11 July 1950 that Pelt was able to submit his findings and representatives lists to the Council and the Council by a vote of six to one, with four absentions, approved Pelt's list of candidates. On 25 July 1950, Pelt invited the persons approved by the Advisory Council to sit on the Committee of Twenty-One. The Committee, so formed, held its first meeting on 27 July 1950 and adopted its rules of procrdure.

As its Chairman, it elected Mohammad Abu al-As'ad al-Alim, the Mufti of Tripolitania, and two secretaries - Khalil al-Qallal of Cerinaica and Mohammad Bin Uthman al-Sayd of Fazzan. The first issue discussed was, what should be the number of members in the National Assembly? Some expressed the opinion that Tripolitania should have a larger representation due to its superiority in population. However, after some discussion, the principle of equal representation was accepted. It was decided that the Libyan National Assembly should be composed of sixty representatives, twenty from each province. The decision, made on 7 August 1950 was carried by seventeen votes, with three abstentions and one absent member. The second issue discussed was, should the members of the National Assembly be elected or selected? Representatives of Fazzan and one representative from Tripolitania, Ali Rajab, supported the principle of election while the representatives of Tripolitania and Cerinaica upheld the principle of selection.

After prolonged discussions, negotiations and compromise it had been agreed that the Amir of Cerinaica [Mohammad Idris Al-Sanousi] would select the representatives of Cerinaica, the Chief of Fazzan [Ahmed Saif al-Nasr] would select the representatives of Fazzan, the Mufti of Tripolitania [Mohammad Abo al-As'ad Al-Alim] would select the representatives of Tripolitania and the nonnational minorities will not be allowed to participate or to be represented in the National Assembly, however, a genuine intention and a general feeling that the civil, religous, and social rights of minorities and foreigners should be fully safeguarded in the future constitution of Libya. Finally, at its meeting on 15 October 1950, the Committee of Twenty-One discussed the date and place of the first meeting of the National assembly. It was agreed that the date of the openning session should be 25 November 1950 and that the headquarters of the Assembly should be in Tripoli, but that the assembly would be free to decide where to meet later.

Pelt submitted his annual report to the UN early September 1950 and a draft resolution was adopted by the UN on 19 October 1950, it reads: The Commissioner, aided by the Council of Libya, would make the necessary steps toward the achievement of the independance and unity of Libya, in cooperation with the administrating powers, to ensure the early, full, and effective implementation of the General Assembly resolution of 1949. The draft resolution was passed by fifty-three votes to one (Ethiopia), with five absentions (Soviet bloc). Before the Libyan National Assembly set to work, Pelt had to face another storm of criticism in the Advisory Council of Libya. On 15 December 1950, he represented to the Advisory Council a memorandum on the work of the Committee of Twenty-One which was discussed on 10-11 March 1951.

Mustafa Maizran , the representitative of Tripolitania, opened the discussion by questioning the competence of the Committee of Twenty-One and it was brought to the attension of the meeting that the Cerinaican and Fazzanese members of the Committee of Twenty-One, who together represented less than one-third of the inhabitants of Libya, would be able to dominate the majority. The criticism levelled at the Committee of Twenty-One were challenged by other members of the Council and the representative of Cerinaica, Ali al-Jerbi, stated that no objections were made about the Committee of Twenty-One until the names of the Tripolitanian members of the National assembly were announced, and it was therefore permissible to wonder whether the present objections were not based on personalities rather than on principles. The representative of Fazzan, Mohammad Bin Uthman, observed that since he had been a member of the Comittee of Twenty-One, he was able to testify that the outcome of its work represented a compromise in the interests of Libyan unity and that concessions had been made on all sides.

The discussion on the work of the Committee of Twenty-One ended without any formal vote been taken, but Pelt requested the advice of the Council on several proposals he had made to the UN General Assembly , the presentation of which was intended to be an advice to the Libyan National Assembly. On 23 January 1951, Pelt, after consultation with various Libyan leaders, submitted to the Counscil a letter to be communicated to the Libyan National Assembly as advice, the text of which reads: The constitution to be prepared by the National Assembly should be enacted in a provisional form, would require final approval and ammendment, if necessary, by a parliment to be elected by the Libyan people as a whole. Provisions should be made in the constitution for a parliment consisting of two chambers, a small senate composed of elected representatives of the three territories on a basis of equality and a popular chamber to be elected by the people of Libya as a whole. The popular chamber should have amongst its competencies the sole control over the budget. The Libyan government, that is the Libyan Cabinet, should be responsible to the popular chamber. These points imply that the Federal system is to be the system of government in Libya.

Prior to the establishment of a Libyan national government several preliminary steps had taken place to transfer provisional administration from foreign to native control. In June 1949, an Arab administration had already been authorized in Cerinaica which gave this province a self-governing regime; but no such institutions were possible in Tripolitania and Fazzan under foreign military rule. When the UN passed a resolution (21 November 1949) granting Libya independance, Amir Idris impressed upon Bashir al-Sa'dawi the need of establishing a prototype Arab self-governing regime in Tripolitania. Bashir al-Sa'dawi seemed to have agreed with the Amir at a meeting in Benghazi (2 February 1950) and promised to discuss the plan with Tripolatanian political leaders. However, after his arrival to Tripoli on 7 February, al-Sa'dawi changed his mind because he believed that establishing separate Tripolitanian regime would be a prior acknowledgment of the federal system by Tripolitania. When the Libyan National Assembly met in November 1950, it was keenly felt that steps should be taken to integrate the three provinces before a provisional national government was established.

The initiative for forming separate regimes in Tripolitania and Fazzan was taken by the National Assembly itself in its meeting on 21 February 1951 when the Assembly adopted a resolution inviting the King-designate, who had been proclaimed the future King of the country on 2 December 1950, to select the members of local provisional goverments in Tripolitania and Fazzan to exercise their powers as a preliminary step toward the establishment of the Libyan federal government. The local provisional governments were created in March 1951. Steps for the establishment of a provisional government of Libya and who is to be named its head, however, proved to be more complicated. When the National Assembly discussed this matter (March 17-24 1951), it decided to name a committee (composed of three members, one of each province) to proceed to Benghazi and discuss with the King-designate the establishment of a provisional givernment before 1 April 1951. When the committee returned to Tripoli, the National Assembly met on 29 March 1951 and adopted a resolution embedying the names of the provisional federal government.

The National Assembly appointed the following ministers: Mahmoud al-Muntasir-Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Education. Omar Shinneeb-Minister of Defense. Ibrahim Bin Sha'ban-Minister of Communications. Mohammad Bin Uthman-Minister of State. Next step was the composition of an assembly which to prepare a constitution for the newly created state of Libya, and that became a subject of a heated controversy both in national and international circles. When Abou al-As'ad al-Alim, the Mufti of Tripolitania, submitted a list of representatives to the Council of Twenty-One which did not meet the approval of the National Congress Party (lead by Bashir al-Sa'dawi), members of the NCP and others demonstrated in Tripoli against the the actions of the Committee of Twenty-One. Bashir al-Sa'dawi appealed to the UN and the Arab League, disputing the competence of the Libyan National Assembly to draw up a constitution for Libya. Al-Sa'dawi also made statements in which he declared that the whole question of Libyan independance should be reconsidered by the UN General Assembly so that a fresh decision compatible with the wishes of the Libyan people could be obtained.

Also, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Abdulrahman Azzam, told the Italian newspaper Tempo that the constitution of the new state [of Libya] must be proclaimed by a freely elected Assembly representing the Libyan people in numerical proportion, Azzam said, otherwise the new state would be based on a false foundation and we [the Arab League] would be unable to recognize it. The National Assembly sent a delegation to the Arab League (22 January 1951) to protest Azzam's statements in the press and to explain the National Assembly's views. Before the National Assembly began to consider the steps necssary for the drafting of the constitution, two fundamental laws were enacted at the outset, because these were deemed necessary to determine the future of the Libyan state. The first, stipulating that Libya, should be a federal state, was supported by Cerinaican and Fazzanese representatives and only reluctantly by Tripolitanean members, in the hope that such a system wuld be a step toward a more perfect union.

The federal system was attacked by its opponents, especially the Tripolitanian National Congress Party lead by Bashir al-Sa'dawi and the Cerinaican Omar al-Muktar Group, as a scheme designed by the imperialists to divide Libya into three states. Convinced that federalism was but a transitory system, the Libyan National Assembly adopted it. Federalism having been accepted, it did not take long to pass the second law proclaiming the form of government to be monarchical and offering the throne of Libya to the Amir Idris al-Sanousi of Cerinaica. This law was unanimously adopted, amid the applause and acclamation of the National Assembly. On 2 December 1950 it was resolved that a message should be sent to the Amir to inform him of the decision taken by the Assembly and that it considered him King as of that day. A delegation composed of all members of the National Assembly went to Benghazi and presented the Assembly's resolution to the Amir on 17 December 1950, in the presence of al-Saqizli, the Prime Minister of Cerinaica, Bashir al-Sa'dawi, leader of the National Congress Party, and other dignitaries.

The Amir, in a short speech, thanked the delegation; Abdulazeez al-Zaghalla'i, made a statement in which he said that while he shared the honor of proclaiming the Amir as a King of Libya, he was still in favor of the unitary-not the federal-form of government and resigned. The King replied that full unity was the ultimate objective of all. The National Assembly then returned to Tripoli and proceeded in its following meeting (4 December 1950) to appoint a drafting committee known as the Committee of the Constitution, composed of 18 members, to prepare a draft constitution. On 6 December 1950, the Committee held its first meeting; its working group held its first meeting on 11 December. The working group, which held ninety-six meetings, forwarded each chapter to the Committee of the Constitution for approval. The Committee of the constitution, which held twenty-five meetings, made no important changes in the draft prepared by the Working Group. It was in the National assembly that some of the controversal clauses were finally adopted. The discussion on the draft constitution in the National Assembly began on 10 September 1951 and could not reach a decision for a week.

Because of the opposition pressure in Tripoli city the National Assembly moved to Benghazi. On 7 October 1951, the National Assembly completed its adoption of all the articles one by one and unanimously passed a resolution to adopt the whole constitution. The National Assembly at its forty-third meeting (6 November 1951) adopted unanimously the electoral law. The Assembly remained in session until the proclamation of the independance of Libya on the 24th of December 1951. References: Modern Libya, Majeed Khaddouri and Pelt's Annual Reports to the UN. Libya - INDEPENDENT LIBYA INDEPENDENT LIBYA Libya Table of Contents Under the constitution of October 1951, the federal monarchy of Libya was headed by King Idris as chief of state, with succession to his designated heirs. Substantial political power resided with the king. The executive arm of the government consisted of a prime minister and Council of Ministers designated by the king but also responsible to the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of a bicameral legislature. The Senate, or upper house, consisted of eight representatives from each of the three provinces.

Half of the senators were nominated by the king, who also had the right to veto legislation and to dissolve the lower house. Local autonomy in the provinces was exercised through provincial governments and legislatures. Benghazi and Tripoli served alternately as the national capital. Several factors, rooted in Libya's history, affected the political development of the newly independent country. They reflected the differing political orientations of the provinces and the ambiguities inherent in Libya's monarchy. First, after the first general elections, which were held on February 19, 1952, political parties were abolished. The National Congress Party, which had campaigned against a federal form of government, was defeated throughout the country. The party was outlawed, and Sadawi was deported. Second, provincial ties continued to be more important than national ones, and the federal and provincial governments were constantly in dispute over their respective spheres of authority. A third problem derived from the lack of a direct heir to the throne. To remedy this situation, Idris in 1953 designated his sixty-year-old brother to succeed him. When the original heir apparent died, the king appointed his nephew, Prince Hasan ar Rida, his successor.

In its foreign policy, Libya maintained a pro-Western stance and was recognized as belonging to the conservative traditionalist bloc in the League of Arab States (Arab League), of which it became a member in 1953. The same year Libya concluded a twenty-year treaty of friendship and alliance with Britain under which the latter received military bases in exchange for financial and military assistance. The next year, Libya and the United States signed an agreement under which the United States also obtained military base rights, subject to renewal in 1970, in return for economic aid to Libya. The most important of the United States installations in Libya was Wheelus Air Base, near Tripoli, considered a strategically valuable installation in the 1950s and early 1960s. Reservations set aside in the desert were used by British and American military aircraft based in Europe as practice firing ranges. Libya forged close ties with France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey, and established full diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union in 1955, but declined a Soviet offer of economic aid. As part of a broad assistance package, the UN Technical Assistance Board agreed to sponsor a technical aid program that emphasized the development of agriculture and education.

Foreign powers, notably Britain and the United States, provided development aid. Steady economic improvement occurred, but the pace was slow, and Libya remained a poor and underdeveloped country heavily dependent on foreign aid. This situation changed suddenly and dramatically in June 1959 when research prospectors from Esso (later renamed Exxon) confirmed the location of major petroleum deposits at Zaltan in Cyrenaica. Further discoveries followed, and commercial development was quickly initiated by concession holders who returned 50 percent of their profits to the Libyan government in taxes. In the petroleum market, Libya's advantages lay not only in the quantity but also in the high quality of its crude product. Libya's proximity and direct linkage to Europe by sea were further marketing advantages. The discovery and exploitation of petroleum turned the vast, sparsely populated, impoverished country into a independently wealthy nation with potential for extensive development and thus constituted a major turning point in Libyan history. As development of petroleum resources progressed in the early 1960s, Libya launched its first Five-Year Plan, 1963-68. One negative result of the new wealth from petroleum, however, was a decline in agricultural production, largely through neglect.

Internal Libyan politics continued to be stable, but the federal form of government had proven inefficient and cumbersome. In April 1963, Prime Minister Muhi ad Din Fakini secured adoption by parliament of a bill, endorsed by the king, that abolished the federal form of government, establishing in its place a unitary, monarchical state with a dominant central government. By legislation, the historical divisions of Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan were to be eliminated and the country divided into ten new provinces, each headed by an appointed governor. The legislature revised the constitution in 1963 to reflect the change from a federal to a unitary state. In regional affairs, Libya enjoyed the advantage of not having aggravated boundary disputes with its neighbors. Libya was one of the thirty founding members of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), established in 1963, and in November 1964 participated with Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia in forming a joint consultative committee aimed at economic cooperation among North African states.

Although it supported Arab causes, including the Moroccan and Algerian independence movements, Libya took little active part in the Arab-Israeli dispute or the tumultuous inter-Arab politics of the 1950s and the early 1960s. Nevertheless, the brand of Arab nationalism propounded by Egypt's Gamal Abdul Nasser exercised an increasing influence, particularly among the younger generation. In response to antiWestern agitation in 1964, Libya's essentially pro-Western government requested the evacuation of British and American bases before the dates specified in the treaties. Most British forces were in fact withdrawn in 1966, although the evacuation of foreign military installations, including Wheelus Air Base, was not completed until March 1970. The June 1967 War between Israel and its Arab neighbors aroused a strong reaction in Libya, particularly in Tripoli and Benghazi, where dock and oil workers as well as students were involved in violent demonstrations. The United States and British embassies and oil company offices were damaged in rioting. Members of the small Jewish community were also attacked, prompting the emigration of almost all remaining Libyan Jews.

The government restored order, but thereafter attempts to modernize the small and ineffective Libyan armed forces and to reform the grossly inefficient Libyan bureaucracy foundered upon conservative opposition to the nature and pace of the proposed reforms. Although Libya was clearly on record as supporting Arab causes in general, the country did not play an important role in Arab politics. At the Arab summit conference held at Khartoum in September 1967, however, Libya, along with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, agreed to provide generous subsidies from oil revenues to aid Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, defeated in June by Israel. Also, Idris first broached the idea of taking collective action to increase the price of oil on the world market. Libya, nonetheless, continued its close association with the West, while Idris' government steered an essentially conservative course at home. After the forming of the Libyan state in 1963, Idris' government had tried--not very successfully--to promote a sense of Libyan nationalism built around the institution of the monarchy. But Idris himself was first and foremost a Cyrenaican, never at ease in Tripolitania.

His political interests were essentially Cyrenaican, and he understood that whatever real power he had--and it was more considerable than what he derived from the constitution--lay in the loyalty he commanded as amir of Cyrenaica and head of the Sanusi order. Idris' pro-Western sympathies and identification with the conservative Arab bloc were especially resented by an increasingly politicized urban elite that favored nonalignment. Aware of the potential of their country's natural wealth, many Libyans had also become conscious that its benefits reached very few of the population. An ominous undercurrent of dissatisfaction with corruption and malfeasance in the bureaucracy began to appear as well, particularly among young officers of the armed forces who were influenced by Nasser's Arab nationalist ideology. Alienated from the most populous part of the country, from the cities, and from a younger generation of Libyans, Idris spent more and more time at his palace in Darnah, near the British military base. In June 1969, the king left the country for rest and medical treatment in Greece and Turkey, leaving Crown Prince Hasan ar Rida as regent.

Custom Search Crown Prince Regent: Hasan: 1969 Prime Ministers: Mahmud al-Muntasir (1951–1954); Hussein Maziq (1965–1967); Wanis al-Qaddafi (1968–1969). Legislature: Parliament; Upper House (Senate); Lower House (House of Representatives). Independence: 24 December 1951. Area: 1,759,530 km2 (679,358 square miles). Population: 1,091,830 (as of 1954). The 1951 constitution states that King Idris as-Sanusi is the head of state, who can exercise political power to run the affairs of the country, through a government led by a prime minister, as well as can veto legislations and dissolve the house of representatives. The king's government is made up of the parliament, the upper house (Senate) and the lower house (House of Representatives).

Each of the three provinces of Libya, namely Cyrenaica, Tripolitania and Fezzan, were represented in the Senate by eight representatives. Each province had its own "provincial government." The flag of Cyrenaica, Eastern Libya. The name Sanusi (or Senusi) refers to a political-religious order, said to have been founded by the grandfather of King Idris, the Grand Sanusi (Sayyid Muhammad Ibn Ali as-Senussi), in 1837 in Saudi Arabia. The black flag with white star & crescent was adopted by Idris as-Sanusi. The Sanusi family were involved in the wars against the French (between 1902 to 1913) and against the Italian invasions of Libya. After the Italians returned to Libya, after the treaty they signed with Turkey, the country was destroyed, Emir Idris fled to Egypt, and subsequently Omar al-Mukhtar was hanged in 1931. On the 1st of March 1949, Sayyid Idris proclaimed the eastern region of Libya as "The Emirate of Cyrenaica", and appointed himself the Emir of Cyrenaica.

Even though the UK did recognise the Emirate, the UN failed to recognise the new country. In 1951 King Idris was appointed the King of Libya. Like the American president was reported by Aljazeera to have said in 1968: "King Idris' regime was stable and secure because it was corrupt, truly corrupt". The same source also stated that: "In their bid to dominate Africa, the [Seven] Sisters installed a king in Libya, a dictator in Gabon, fought the nationalisation of oil resources in Algeria, and through corruption, war and assassinations, brought Nigeria to its knees" (aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2013/04/201344105231487582.html). The Berbers of Libya Under King Idris The official status of the Berbers during the kingdom can be argued to have been slightly better than that during Gaddafi's period, and so far the same as during the "transitional" period of the NTC.

However, all these three governments have declared constitutionally that Arabic is the only official language of Libya - even though Berber is the native language of Libya. The king's constitution states this under Article 186. However, Article 24 also states that any Libyan can use any language to 'practice' his or her religion or culture, including its use in literature and the media. After practice, of course, comes the real test - whenever the dictators are ready. In addition to the lack of any official recognition, there was no clear policy to assist the Berbers along those lines to develop their unique culture and nurture their prehistoric identity. When a language is declared official it will have the "legal protection", the "funds", and the dedication to ensure its free evolution. But when it is marginalised or forced into integration into another's freedom then neglect naturally follows. 03 March 2014: The Libyan government has decided to reinstate the Libyan nationality to King Idris and to his family. Decree 146 of 2014, issued by the PMO, also returns all the property confiscated by Gaddafi's government to the Sanusi family.

Idris I | king of Libya | Britannica.com king of Libya Alternative Title: Sīdī Muḥammad Idrīs al-Mahdī al-Sanūsī Idris I Sīdī Muḥammad Idrīs al-Mahdī al-Sanūsī born Idris I, in full Sīdī Muḥammad Idrīs al-Mahdī al-Sanūsī (born March 13, 1890, Jarabub , Cyrenaica , Libya —died May 25, 1983, Cairo , Egypt ), the first king of Libya when that country gained its independence in 1951. Idris I Central Press/Pictorial Parade In 1902 Idris succeeded his father as head of the Sanūsiyyah , an Islamic tariqa, or brotherhood, centred in Cyrenaica. Because he was a minor, active leadership first passed to his cousin, Aḥmad al-Sharīf.

Ruling in his own right after 1916, Idris’s first problem was to deal with the Italians, who in 1911 had invaded Libya in an effort to create a North African empire but were unable to extend their authority much beyond the coast. By the peace of Arcoma (1917), Idris secured a cease-fire and, in effect, confirmation of his own authority in inland Cyrenaica. A further agreement in 1919 established a Cyrenaician parliament and a financial grant to Idris and his followers. When Idris proved unable and unwilling to disarm his tribal supporters as Italy demanded, however, the Italians invaded the Tripolitanian hinterland in the spring of 1922. Tripolitanian tribesmen offered to submit to Idris’s authority in the hope of securing greater unity and more effective resistance. Idris saw resistance as futile , however, and he went into exile in Egypt, where he remained until British forces occupied Libya in 1942 during World War II (1939–45).

Idris continued to direct his followers from Egypt, not returning to Libya permanently until 1947, when he would head an official government. His main support came from conservative tribesmen, who thought in terms of a Sanūsī government ruling over Cyrenaica, but younger and more urbanized elements looked to a union of the Libyan provinces. The issue was finally determined by the United Nations in November 1949, when the General Assembly resolved that the future of Cyrenaica, Fezzan, and Tripolitania should be decided upon by representatives of the three areas meeting in a national assembly. This assembly established a constitutional monarchy and offered the throne to Idris. Libya declared its independence in December 1951. Under Idris the throne had a preponderance of influence over the parliament and absolute control over the army. The government was an oligarchy of wealthy townsmen and powerful tribal leaders who divided the important administrative positions among themselves and supported the king. This situation, along with the external support of Western powers and the internal military support of his loyal tribesmen, enabled Idris to control the affairs of the central government.

Many of the younger army officers and members of the growing urban middle class, however, resented Idris’s socially conservative policies and his aloofness from the growing currents of Arab nationalism . In September 1969, while Idris was at a Turkish spa for medical treatment, the army, led by Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi , overthrew the government. Idris went first to Greece and then was given political asylum in Egypt. In 1974 he was tried in absentia on charges of corruption and found guilty. He remained in exile in Cairo until his death. Learn More in these related articles: King Idris Announces the Independence of Libya in Benghazi December 24, 1951 - YouTube King Idris Announces the Independence of Libya in Benghazi December 24, 1951 Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Uploaded on Dec 24, 2011 Category

Question: Who was king of Libya when it obtained independence in 1951?
Answer: Idris